Bomb rack magazine with release mechanism



0 5, 1948. J. c. CANTLEY 2,450,540

BOMB RACK MAGAZINE WITH RELEASE MECHANISM 31 1944 7 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed ]?wen for JosephvG C'antley B 's/htor'ney Oct. 5, 1948. J. c. CANTLEY 2,450,540

BOMB RACK MAGAZINE WITH RELEASE MECHANISM Filed May 51, 1944 7 Sheets-Sheet 2 17212672 for Jo se bh C-Cant 161 B his Attorney Oct. 5, 1948. .1. c. CANTLEY' BOMB RACK MAGAZINE WITH RELEASE MECHANISM 7 Sheets-Sheet 3 iwenzm dbseph CCdmYey Filed May 51., 1944 Oct. 5, 1948. J. c. CANTLEY BOMB RACK MAGAZINE WITH RELEASE MECHANISM 7 Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed May 51, 1944 fiwenfar Joseph CComZez By hi Attorney Oct. 5, 1948. J. c. CANTLEY 2, ,5

BOMB RACK MAGAZINE WITH RELEASE MECHANISM Filed May 51, 1944 'r She ets-Sheet 5 l fizz/snfor Joseph CConf/ey B J. c. CANTLEY BOMB RACK MAGAZINE WITH RELEASE MECHANISM 4 Oct. 5, 1948.

' Filed May 31, 1944 7 Sheets-Sheet 6 Ill W 7 e mmm ma 66 w If .w B Q .m

Oct. 5, 1948. J. c. CANTLEY ,450,540

BOMB RACK MAGAZINE WITH RELEASE MECHANISM Filed May 51, 1944' 7 Sheets-Sheet 7 v Patented Oct. 5, 1948 BOMB RACK MAGAZINE WITH RELEASE IVIECHANISM Joseph C. Cantley, Beverly, Mass, assignor to United Shoe Machinery Corporation, Flemington, N. J a corporation of New Jersey Application May 31, 1944, Serial No. 538r,108

I 9 Claims. 1

This invention relates to magazines from which articles may be released from aircraft and is illustrated as embodied in a flare magazine, although it should be understood that the magazine is as well adapted to carry other objects such as bombs and the like.

One of the objects of the present invention is to provide a magazine in which a plurality of flares or the like are supported one above another and in which improved mechanism is provided for so supporting the flares and for releasing them from the magazine. As illustrated herein and in accordance with a feature of the invention, the flares are arranged in superposed relation in two rows supported by arms underlying the flares which are held thereby against vertical walls of the magazine. The arms are retracted to release flares alternately from the two rows by mechanism controlled by the operator.

In accordance with another feature of the invention the retraction of the supporting arms is effected by springs, the arms being locked in flare-supporting positions by latches which are engaged by pawls when the magazine is loaded. A vertical shaft provides means for lifting the pawls out of engagement with the latches thereby to permit retraction of the supportin arms according to a predetermined sequence upon rotation of the shaft.

Another feature of the invention relates to the provision of improved mechanism for indexing the shaft. As illustrated herein the shaft carries a segment having teeth spaced around the shaft and axially thereof, the shaft being held in one of a plurality of positions, as determined by the number of teeth on the segment. by a rack having a corresponding number of teeth arranged in the form of steps. This rack is journaled on a shaft parallel to the axis of the indexing shaft and is urged toward locking position with respect to the segment by a spring. The rack carries a set of ratchet teeth engaged by a pawl which is reciprocated to move the rack in small increments upon successive energizations of a solenoid to which the pawl is connected whereupon a spring, acting upon the main indexing shaft, causes this shaft to move a step at a time.

A still further feature of the invention relates to mechanism by which control is automatically transferred from one magazine to another after the flrst magazine has been completely emptied of its flares so that without any extra effort on the part of the operator the dropping of flares from the second magazine may be effected after the flrst magazine is completely emptied. As

handle and associated taken along the line illustrated herein, a switch by which control is transferred from one magazine to another, is automatically closed upon deenergization of the solenoid after the last flare has been released from the magazine. An arm operated by the solenoid moves toward and from the button of the switch but in spaced relation thereto and the rack by which the indexing of the shaft is effected moves a plunger in the path of movement of the arm after the last flare has been released so that through this plunger the switch is closed automatically at the proper time.

The above and other features of the invention, including various details of construction and novel combinations of parts, will now be described in connection with the drawings and pointed out in the claims.

In the drawings,

Fig. 1 is a view partly in section and partly in elevation of one form of magazine embodying the invention;

Fig. 2 is a section on the line 11-11 ofFig. 1;

Fig. 3 is an end view of the magazine fully loaded, with the end plate removed;

Fig. 4 is a side elevation partly in section of the mechanism for resetting the latches by which the flare supports are held in operative positions.

Fig. 5 is asection on the line V-V of Fig. 4;

Fig. 6 is a plan view of the mechanism by which the shaft which controls the position of the latches is indexed;

r Fig. "I is a plan view of a portion of the mechanism shown in Fig. 6 showing the parts in the positions assumed after the magazine has been emptied of flares;

Fig. 8 is a section on Fig. 6;

Fig. 9 is a detail of a portion of the mechanism for operatin the switch by which another magazine is rendered operative after the magazine shown herein has been emptied, this view being IX-IX of Fig. 6;

Fig. 10 is an angular View of a portion of the indexing mechanism for operating the latch release shaft Fig. 11 is an elevation partly in section of a porthe line VIII-VIII Of tion of the latch release shaft and associated mechanism;

Fig, 12 is an elevation partly in section of some of the flare-supporting means and release mechanism including the latch release shaft of Fig. 11;

Fig. 13 is a vertical section of a portion of the mechanism shown in Fig. 12 with the parts in the positions assumed after release of the flares;

7 These handles facilitate Fig. 14 is a side elevation of one of the flaresupporting arms;

Fig. 15 is a front elevation of the handle for moving one of the flare-supporting arms into operative position;

Fig. 16 is a detail view of a portion of one of the latch assemblies;

Fig. 17 is .a view. similar to Fig. 16 taken at right angles thereto, and

Figs. 18 to 20 are sections taken through the latch release shaft at different portions thereof showing the parts in the positions assumedwhen the magazine is fully loaded.

The magazine is illustrated in Figs. 1 and"3 as comprising a cylindrical container I0 having end:

14 and two sets of doors l6, IS in the plates l2, under side thereof. These doors are hinged at 20 and are normally maintained in closed positions by light springs (not shown) but open 'uponengagement thereof by a flare F to permit egress of the flare from the magazine. Secured to the upper portion of the container are brackets 22 and .24, the first-of which may be utilized tosuspend the magazine from the bomb rack or shackle in the bomb bay of an airplane with the longitudinal-axis of the container inclined at 45 to the vertical. The bracket24 permits the magazine to-be suspended vertically from thewing of an airplane. Circular flanges-25 project outwardly from opposite ends of the magazine to permit the attachment of nose and tail fairings when the magazine is suspended fromthe wing thereby to minimize air resistance.

The container is reinforced by longitudinally :extended struts 28 .in the sides thereof, a: strut -30 along the top and a'strut 32 (Fig. 1) in the bottom. Secured to the struts 28 are vertical 'bars 34 forming the outer walls of apair of flare compartments. A central partition or wall 36 divides .thecontainer and completes the compartments for the flares. As illustrated in Fig. 3, each compartment is designed to hold three flares Fin superposed relation but it willbe understood that the magazine may be designed. to contain any .desired number thereof.

For holding the flares in the magazine, a pair .of supporting arms 40 is-arranged forengagement with the under side of each flare thereby to support the flare in engagement withthe outer wall .34 of.v the compartment. .to shafts 42 journaled in the central wall 36,.the shafts being urged in directions-.to retract the arms within the confines of the -wall 36 by tor- .sion springs 44 (Figs. 1 and 15) which; surround .the;shafts at their outer ends and act between the wall 36 and handles 46 secured to the shafts. movementof the shafts against the force exerted by the springs when the magazine is being loaded thereby to movethe supporting arms4il from the retracted positions,

.shown in Fig. 13 into theiroperative flare-supporting positionsas shown in- Fig. 14. o

For holding the supportingarms in their opera- .tive positions against the action of the torsion springs 44, the shafts 42 near theircentral por- L tions carry latches 50 (Figs. 11, 12 and 13)uen- .gageable with pawls 52 carried by pins- 54 supported by brackets 56 in the central partition. Springs 58 secured to the pawls 52 normallymaintain them in looking engagement with the latches l .50ras-shown in Fig.-12. --When these pawls are swung upwardly out of engagementwith 1 the latches'50, the shafts 42 are turned byithe torsion springs to retract the arms40 and. permit-the These arms are secured flares todrop through thelower. portion, of the on the lowermost shafts 42,

magazine. It will be understood that each pair of arms 40 is carried by a separate shaft 42 and each of these shafts carries a latch 50 for which there is provided a-locking pawl 52.

For moving the pawls out of locking engagement with the latches 50 a vertical, centrally located .shaft 60 -is journaledxin the-partition 36. This. shaft carries three spools'62', 64, 66 (Fig. 1). The spool 62 controls the pawls 52 which operate the spool 64 controls the pawls associated with the intermediate shafts '42,;and the spoo166 controls the pawls associated As shown in Fig. 68 provided in its with the uppermost shafts 42.

l8-the spool 62 includes a cam periphery with apair of recesses 10, 72 in which are positioned the lower ends of arms 14 (Fig. 16) .integral with the pawls 52.

in the position assumed when the magazine is The spool 62 is shown completely loaded and the supporting arms 40 are all in their flare-supporting positions. Upon .movement of the-shaft 60 in a counterclockwise direction as viewed in Fig. .18, ithetshoulder- 16 formed by the recess l0 engages theadjacent arm 74 therebyto rock it in a clockwise-direction as viewed in Fig. 12, moving the pawl 52 out.ofv engagement with the latch 50 whereupon the flare at the lower right handcorner inthis .figure is released and drops from the magazine. .Theshaft .60 is moved in a step-by-stenmanner in a counterclockwise. direction by mechanismto be. described so that. the flares are released. oneat-a time. Itwill be noted that the recess 12 inthe .cam .68 is of a greater ..peripheral lengthsothat further movement in a counterclockwise direction .of the spool. 52 is required before the associated arm.- 74. ismoved to release the pawls controlling theshaft 42 adjacent to the one which hasbeen previously released. The spools64and 66 shown in Figs. 19 and 20 respectively.areprovidedtwith similar recesses but :of progressivelyincreasing lengths so that upon successive movements of. the shaft #60 the arms 14 are successively operated to. release flares alternately from one-side of the magazine and the other starting with the lower- .most flares .and ending with the uppermostflares.

. thearms itto. release its.associated shaftAZ. the

pin 83 moves out ofv the recess=86 -in.the.adjaeent flange and upon; slight further. .movement -of-. the shaft 66 the recess .moves away from thepimand .the -fiange accordinglylocks the .-.arm I 14. in! its upper position as indicated byrthe-broken-lines in Fig..l6. .Asshown. in-Figs.:-l8, 19(andw2 0 athe recesses in the flanges. starting from the flowermost one .of the lowermost spool and ending with the uppermost flange of thetop spool areofrincreasing peripherallengths soithat-each pin-may remain in its recess until the arm: by which itis carried is swung upwardlysaflter.which then-arm is locked in its upper position. -:From-the:.above it will be; seen that as the shaftnfifidswturnedfima counterclockwise direction as: viewedin F-j'ig. 18 "the cams iii-cause release of thf1atCh8S5Ql ima predetermined order whereupon the flare supports 45 are moved by thesprings 44 :into the confines; of the partition 35 as indicated. in::Fig. :13 permit-ting releaseiofithe fiares"from.tlthe container. After each flare has been released the pawl controlling its release is locked in its inoperative position by engagement of the pin 80 carried by the arm I4 with one or the other of the flanges in the adjacent spool.

Secured to the shaft 60 is a pair of torsion springs 88 secured at their upper ends by collars 30 pinned to the shaft 60 and at their lower ends to pins 92 carried by the partition 36. These springs are arranged to rotate the shaft 60 in a direction to release the flare supports, and to control the movement of the shaft by these springs an escapement mechanism 94 (Fig. is provided. This mechanism includes a disk 96 secured to the upper end of the shaft 60 and carrying a release segment 98 provided with teeth I00 in the form of steps concentrically disposed around the shaft. This segment cooperates with a rack I02 depending from an arm I64 journaled on a shaft I06 carried by the strut 30 and extending parallel with the shaft 60. The rack I02 is provided with steps I83 complemental to the steps I60 of the segment 88 so that as the rack I02 is moved about the shaft I in a counterclockwise direction as viewed in Fig. 10 in a step-by-step manner, it will permit movement of the disk 96 and consequently of the shaft 66 in a counterclockwise direction in a step-by-step manner, the increment of movement depending upon the lengths of the steps I00 of the segment. Movement is imparted to the rack I02 by a solenoid IIO (Fig. 6) the armature of which is connected by a link II2 to a lever II4 pivoted on a pin II6 carried by the strut 33, this lever being connected to a pawl II8 held by a spring I20 in engagement with a ratchet I22 on the arm I04. Upon each energization of the solenoid the ratchet is moved through the above-described connections in a counterclockwise direction a sufiicient distance to permit the shaft 60 to turn one step under the influence of the springs 88 to release a flare from the magazine. The rack I62 is held in engagement with one of the steps I of the segment 98 depending upon the position of the rack, by a spring I24 connected between a pin I26 on the rack and a pin I28 carried by the strut 30. The stroke of the armature of the solenoid H3 is just sufficient to cause the shaft 60 to be turned far enough to release one flare so that upon each energization of the solenoid a flare is released from the magazine until the magazine is entirely empty of flares.

It may be desirable to mount two or more magazines of the type described herein on a single plane and to place all magazines under the control of the operator so that after one magazine is emptied a circuit is automatically established to the solenoid of another magazine and no sepa rate operation on the part of the operator is required to place a second magazine under the control of the switch by which the solenoid is operated. A switch I30 for placing the solenoid of an additional magazine under the control of the operator is mounted in the strut 36 and is arranged to be closed automatically by the following mechanism after the magazine has been emptied. Pivoted on a pin I32 (Fig. 9) supported by a bracket I33 carried by the strut 30 is an upwardly extending arm I34 having at its upper end a horizontal extension I36 disposed in the path of movement of the forward edge of the -ratchet I22. The arm I34 is normally held in a vertical position as shown in Fig. 9 by a spring I38, the arm being provided with a downwardly extending projection I40 engageable with a shoulder on the bracket I33 thereby to limit the move ment of the arm under the influence of the spring I38. After the magazine has been emptied of flares the ratchet I22 assumes the position shown in Fig. 7 and by its engagement with the upper end I36 of the arm I34 moves this arm into the broken line position of Fig. 9. The upper end of the arm carries a slidable pin I42 which moves into alinement with a disk I44 at the rear end of a rod I46 which is alined with a button I48 of the switch I30 when the arm I34 is in the broken line position of Fig. 9. The lever II4 through which motion is imparted to the pawl II8 by the solenoid IIIl includes an extension I50 engageable with the rearward end of the pin I42 after the pin has moved into register with the disk I44. Consequently after the ratchet I22 has reached the limit of its movement at which time the magazine is emptied of flares, the pin I42 assumes a position between the end I50 of the lever H4 and the disk I44. Upon deenergization of the solenoid IIO, the lever H4 is returned to the position shown in Fig. 6 by a spring (not shown) acting on the armature of the solenoid and by engagement of the end of the lever H4 with the pin I42 moves the pin to the left which in turn moves the rod I46 to the left and actuates the switch button I48 thereby to close the circuit controlled by the switch I30 and to place another magazine under the control of the operator.

In order to reload the magazine it is necessary to turn the shaft back to its original position thus energizing the springs 88 and returning the spools, carried by the shaft, into positions in which the pawls 52 may engage the latches on the shafts 42 when the supports 40 are moved intooperative positions. For thus operating the shaft 60 a handle I54 (Figs. 1, 4 and 5) is provided. This handle is located just below the lower strut 32 and is pivoted at I56 to a sleeve I58 which is in turn secured by a pin I66 to a circular shank I82 depending from a disk I64 resting on the upper portion of the strut 32. The disk I54 carries an upwardly extending projection I66 arranged for engagement with a depending projection I88 of a collar I10 secured to the lower end of the shaft 60 thereby to transmit motion from the handle to the shaft. When the magazine is fully loaded the members I66 and I68 are spaced as indicated in Fig. 5 but as the shaft 60 turns in a counterclockwise direction during the flare releasing operation, the member I68 moves toward the member I66 and engages it as the last flare is released.

The handle I54 is normally locked in the position shown in Figs. 1 and 4 by a slide I12 (Figs. 2

and 4). This slide comprises a pair of longitudinally extending bars interconnected by a pin I14 and guided for longitudinal movement along the strut 32 by bolts I16 which pass through slots I18 in the slide. These bolts also serve to secure together the bars comprising the slide. The slide is normally held in either one of two positions by a spring-pressed detent I engageable with spaced recesses I82 in the slide. The slide includes an inwardly extending plate I84 having an angular projection I86 receivable in a slot formed in the lower end of the sleeve I58 as shown in Fig. 4 so that when the slide is in the position illustrated it acts to lock the sleeve and shaft against rotation. At this time the handle is held against the under surface of the strut 32 by engagement of the extension I86 with a surface I08 of the handle. However, when the slide is moved to the left the projection I86 moves out of engage- 7, ment with: the handle and out of the slot inthe lower end of the sleeve I58 whereupon the handle drops sufiiciently to enable it to beconveniently grasped by the operator and the sleeve I58 is free to be rotated.

The slide also retracts the pawl I ISto free the ratchet 22 .for movement with respect thereto when the parts are reset. For this purpose the pawl is provided with a cam surface I98 (Fig. 8) arranged for engagement by a pin I92 carried by one end of an arm use the other end of which is pivoted on a pin E96 on a bracket i 98 extending upwardly from the strut 36. Upon moving the arm I34 downwardly about the pivot 89% the pin I92 acts on the cam surface 19% to move the pawl against the force of the spring i 2d out of engagement with the ratchet I22. The arm if! is normally held in the position shown in Fig. 8, with the pin out of engagement with the cam surface Hi0, by a link 2% the lower end of which is connected to a bell crank lever 2E2KFig. 1) pivoted at 264 to a bracket carried by the central partition. This bell crank l ver carries a pin 2E5 engageable with a surface 268 on the slide H2 so that when the handle flit is locked by the slide the pawl H3 is held in engagement with the ratchet 122 by the spring I28. Upon movement of the slide I72 to the left to free the handle for resetting the shaft 63, the pin 265 in the bell crank lever 262 drops off the surface 258 and the pin I14 engages a downward projection of the bell crank lever thereby positively moving it in a clockwise direction as viewed in Fig. l, transmitting motion through the link 298 to pull the arm I94 (Fig. 8) downwardly thus carnming the pawl out of engagement with the ratchet. Consequently, as the shaft 89 is reset and the segment 98 (Fig. 10) is returned to the position shown in Fig. 10, the spring l2i permits return of the rack H32 and with it the ratchet I22 thereby returning the parts to the positions illustrated in Fig. 10.

In reloading the magazine the doors at the bottom of the container are opened to permit the insertion of flares therethrough and upon moving each flare into position with respect to the supports 49, the handle 55 for moving each pair of supports is operated to carry the supports into engagement with the flares as shown in Fig. 3, at which time the supports are locked in position by engagement of the pawls 52 with the latches It will be understood that if the shaft 8f! has not been properly reset the pawls 52 will be held in their raised positions by engagement of the pins 80 with the upper surfaces of the disks carried by the respective spools and consequently it is impossible to reload the magazine if the shaft 6il'has not been returned to its original position and the springs 88, for operating the shaft, have not beenenergized. The lanyards carried by the flares are inserted through holes in one of the end plates l2, M and the ring at the end of the lanyard is hooked against the outer surfaces of the end plates by hinged lanyard plates 2 it (Fig. 1). After the magazine is fully loaded the slide I12 is moved to the right, locking the handle in the position illustrated in Figs. 1 and 4 and permitting the pawl I id to be moved into engagement with the ratchet I22, the doors l6 and H! at the bottom of the container are permitted to close and-the magazine is ready for operation.

Having thus described the invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent. of the United States is:

1.. An aircraft flare magazine comprising means for supportinga plurality of flares in superposed relation, means urging said supporting means into inoperative positions, latches for holding said supporting means in operative positions, a latch release shaft, means carried by said shaft for causing successive release of said latches in'response to successive turning movements of said shaft, means for operating said shaft, and means carried by said shaft for maintaining said latches in inoperative positions until said shaft has returned to an initial position.

2. Anaircraft flare magazine comprising a container, walls forming a compartment in said container for flares supported in superposed relation therein, means'carried by one of said walls for supporting said flares, ,means carried by said wall for locking saidsupporting means in operative positions, a rotatable shaft carried by said wall, means carried by said shaft for successively releasing said locking means in response to rotative movement of said shaft to permit sequential rel ase ofsaid flares from the container, and means for turning said shaft in a step-by-step manner.

3. An aircraft flare magazine comprising a contamer, walls forming a compartment in said container for flares supported in superposed relation therein, means carried by one of said walls for supporting said flares, means carried by said wall for locking said supporting means in operative positions, a rotatable shaft carried by said wail, means carried by said shaft for successively releasing said locking means in response to rotative movement of said shaft to' permit sequential release of said flares for the container, a spring acting on said shaft tending to turn it in a direction to release said means, mechanism for locking said shaft in any one of a plurality of positions, and means for successively operating said locking means to permit movement of said shaft by the *3 spring in a step-by-step manner.

4. An aircraft flare magazine comprising a container, walls forming a, compartment in said container for flares supported in superposed relation therein, a plurality of horizontal shafts journaled in one of said walls in vertically spaced relation, arms carried by said shafts for supporting flares in the compartment, means acting on said shafts to carry the arms into retracted positions, latches carried by said shafts, pawls carried by said wall for engagement with said latches to lock the shafts with the arms in operative positions, a vertical shaft, means carried by said vertical shaft for uccessively releasing said pawls in response to rotation of said shaft, and means for imparting step-by-step rotative movement to said shaft.

5. An aircraft flare magazine comprising a container, walls forming a compartment in said container for flares supported in superposed relation therein, a plurality of horizontal shafts journaled in one of said walls in vertically spaced relation, arms carried by said shafts for supporting flares in the ocrnpartment,means acting on said shafts to carry the arms into retracted positions, latches carried by said shafts, pawls carried by said wall for engagement with said latches to lock the said shaft'to turn it, a segment carried by said.

aft having teeth spaced around the shaft and lengthwise thereof, a rack having teeth cooperating with the teeth on said segment for locking the shaft against movement by said spring in any one of a plurality of positions, means mounting said rack for a pivotal movement about an axis parallel to the axis of rotation of said shaft, means urging said rack into locking engagement with the said segment, and means for moving said rack in a step-by-step manner to permit step-by-step movement of said shaft.

7. In combination, a shaft, a spring acting on said shaft to turn it, a segment carried by said shaft having teeth spaced around the shaft and lengthwise thereof, a rack having teeth cooperating with the teeth on said segment for locking the shaft against movement by said spring in any one of a plurality of positions, means mounting said rack for a pivotal movement about an axis parallel to the axis of rotation of said shaft, means urging said rack into locking engagement with the said segment, means for moving said rack in a step-by-step manner to permit stepby-step movement of said shaft, a ratchet carried by said rack, a pawl engageable with said ratchet, means for reciprocating said pawl thereby to move the rack relatively to the segment and permit step-by-step movement of said shaft, means for turning said shaft against the force exerted by the spring, means for locking said shaft turningmeans, and means operative in response to the unlocking of the shaft turning means for holding said pawl out of engagement with said ratchet.

8. An aircraft flare magazine comprising means for supporting a plurality of flares in superposed relation, means mounting said supporting means for movement into and out of operative positions, a vertical shaft having means for successively releasing said supporting means for movement into inoperative positions, a spring acting on said shaft to turn it in a direction to release said supporting means, a segment carried by said shaft having teeth spaced therearound and lengthwise thereof, a rack having teeth cooperating with teeth on said segment for locking the shaft against movement by said spring in any one of a plurality of positions, means mounting said rack for pivotal movement about an axis parallel to the axis of rotation of said shaft, means urging said rack into locking engagement with said se ment, and means for moving said rack in a stepby-step manner to permit step-by-step movement of said shaft.

9. An aircraft flare magazine comprising means for supporting a plurality of flares in superposed relation, means mounting said supporting means for movement into and out of operative positions, releasable means for holding the supporting means in operative position, a, vertical shaft having means for successively releasing said holding means to permit movement of the supporting means into inoperative positions, a spring acting on said shaft to turn it in a direction to release said holding means, a. segment carried by said shaft having teeth spaced therearound and lengthwise thereof, a rack having teeth cooperating with teeth on said segment for locking the shaft against movement by said spring in any one of a plurality of positions, means mounting said rack for pivotal movement about an axis parallel to the axis of rotation of said shaft, means urging said rack into locking engagement with said segment, a ratchet carried by said rack, a pawl engageable therewith, means for recipro- .cating the pawl thereby to move the rack relatively to the segment and permit step-by-step movement of said shaft, means for turning said shaft against the force exerted by the spring to permit resetting said supporting means, means for locking said shaft-turning means, and means operative in response to unlocking of said shaftturning means for holding the pawl out of engagement with said ratchet.

JOSEPH C. CANTLEY.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 676,345 Torras June 11, 1901 1,290,858 Yoshida Jan. 7, 1919 1,741,195 Lombardo Dec. 21, 1929 2,071,594 Trimbach Feb. 23, 1937 2,095,958 Allen Oct. 19, 1937 2,144,957 Bell Jan. 24, 1939 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 96,162 Sweden July 4, 1939 142,266 Great Britain May 6, 1920 264,232 Germany Sept. 20, 1913 314,666 Great Britain Jan. 22, 1926 357,106 Italy Mar. 2, 1938 

